Students won't be required to wear masks, Texan athletes at the Olympics Day 1 : Your weekend roundup

And: Dallas police chief apologizes to mother of Santos Rodriguez  [Morning roundup]( [NEWS]( | [BUSINESS]( | [SPORTS]( | [HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS]( | [ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT]( | [FOOD]( |[STATE OF THE CITY]( | [THINGS TO DO]( | [OPINION]( | [GAMES AND PUZZLES]( 07/25/2021 By Ed Medeles and Avery Dalal Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌞Weather: Mostly sunny and hot. High of 100. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( CDallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia (left) escorts Bessie Rodriguez, mother of Santos Rodriguez, back to her seat after placing a wreath on her son’s headstone during a memorial service at Oakland Cemetery in South Dallas on Saturday, July 24, 2021. (Elias Valverde II / Staff Photographer) NEWS [Dallas police Chief Eddie Garcia apologizes to mother of Santos Rodriguez, murdered by a cop in 1973]( It’s been nearly five decades since the murder of 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez by a Dallas police officer. On Saturday, [Dallas police Chief Eddie García formally apologized to Bessie Rodriguez]( Santos’ 77-year-old mother. It was a first for a Dallas police chief, Rodriguez’s mother said during a memorial at Oakland Cemetery observing the 48th anniversary of Santos’ murder. The murder stunned Dallas and the nation, as one horrific detail after another became known. But it also galvanized the Mexican American community to seek change. Saturday, though, belonged to Santos’ mother.  Also: Dallas County moves COVID-19 [threat level back up to orange, or ‘extreme caution.’](   And: Teen in critical condition after accidentally [shooting himself in West Dallas, police say](.  ADVERTISEMENT [EDUCATION]( [Texas students won’t be required to wear masks. What does that mean as a new COVID strain spreads?]( Despite concerns from the medical experts about the uptick in COVID-19 cases nationwide, Gov. Greg Abbott doubled down this week on his stance that [Texas will not reinstate a mask mandate for campuses heading into the upcoming school year.]( While Abbott’s stance sits contrary to what the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have called for in recent days -- namely that students and staff, particularly those who are not vaccinated, wear masks while heading back into classrooms -- the governor holds all the cards.  Also: Texas House Democrats insist they’re maintaining momentum [as special session reaches midway point](.   Also: Donald Trump’s PAC makes last-minute ad buy for [Susan Wright in District 6 congressional race](.  ADVERTISEMENT AROUND THE SITE - Music: Leon Bridges reckons with stardom and [finds his way home on new album](. - Cheers: Dallas drinkers order [more Chili’s margaritas than any other city](. - Editorial: Deepening diversity [at the Dallas Museum of Art](. FINALLY... [See how Texas athletes fared during Day 1 of the Tokyo Olympics]( Former Longhorn Cat Ostermann earned her second win, Dallas Wings guard Allisha Gray helped make history and more. See how some Texans[fared during Day 1 of the Tokyo Olympics.]( ADVERTISEMENT  👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [the newsroom.]( [Free Newsletters]( | [Account Login]( | [Help Center]( | [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States © Copyright 2021